Hades Universe Chapter 3: Friends
'Chapter 3: Friends' Vegeta Damien Orikawa's POV I sensed a powerful evil ki coming from a yokai and I was sure it was just around the city. I went into the place for as fast as I could in order to defeat that monster, in order to prove the results of my training. I ended up in the school grounds, under a cherry blossom tree, and found nothing but a bloody corpse of a human killed by that monster. It seems that it left his ki tracts in here but I still could sense it nearby. Just then, I heard its howl inside the school building, and the sound of crushing glass. I ran into the inside and suddenly caught the familiar scent of her blood. She was around here and close by that monster. I ran to where I sensed them and saw the yokai glowing with red ki, raising its clawed arm, sauntering forward to kill the woman. Seeing her accepting death like this concerned me, I didn't know why. My body moved without my permission, against my own wish and kicked the yokai away from her, which sent it flying across the room, crushing the glass wall on the other side. "You're not getting your way!" I growled. I heard the yokai ''moan in pain. "V-Vegeta-kun''—"I heard her say in a soft weak voice. I slowly turned to her, staring at her coldly as my sight turned red. She stared at me in bewilderment and she has probably noticed it. I heard the yokai snarled and I turned to face it. It had already regained its height. It crouched, ready to attack anytime for now. I smirked; I'm getting excited about this. I stance and prepared myself for battle as a smirk ran across my face. The yokai howled and wind blew strong across the room. I pushed away the wind from me and began powering up. I screamed, releasing my ki and attacked the enormous monster with a series of punches and kicks. It was thrown aback and with a final blow on its head, I managed to knock it out, making a small crater into the floor where it has fallen. I curled my hands toward my left side, charged a red concentrated ki blast, and shoot it on the monster, killing it in the process. I spit as I landed my feet back into the floor. I powered down my sight became normal again. Hmph! Easy! ''I thought it was a good challenge to fight that monster but I guess I was wrong. I just wasted my time in here. I thought to myself. I looked back to where the blue haired woman was, still in shock. Her body injured with cuts and bruises. ''Stupid weak humans, they are just so defenseless against those monsters. The blood oozed out of those wounds, its scent made me thirsty but I think I could manage it now, but for safety reasons (I mean…for the safety of the human), I decided to leave her alone. I walked away. "Wait up, Vegeta." she finally spoke. The human woman just managed to stand and catch up with me. She was able to walk behind me. "What?" I said without even glancing at her. "How did you know I was in here?" I stopped from my tracks and looked at her with eyebrows raised. "Excuse me?" "How did you know I'' was in here?" she repeated the question. "I didn't know that you were in here, woman." I replied. "But I know that that monster was in here," "Then how did you know?" she asked. "I saw it from there, in that tower," I pointed a tower a few kilometers away from this point. I bet she could not see it with her human eyes. "Where? I can't see anything." She said trying to locate, as expected from a stupid human. "I guess you should visit your ophthalmologist," I smirked and then continued walking. She pouted and followed. "Hey, wait up!" Tch! This woman is annoying, isn't she? How could she think that I came all the way in here and destroy that monster for her? "But anyways, thanks for saving me." She grinned. "Don't get the wrong idea, I did not save you. I just wanted to eradicate that monster." I snarled, getting annoyed with her nagging. "Well— but still—thank you, because for me— you still saved my life." She smiled sheepishly. "Therefore," I said, turning to her, my sight turning red once more and she was stunned. "You better forget whatever happened tonight. Thou shall not remember anything thou saw tonight." Her eyes slowly closed as she began to drift off to sleep. Her body fell on the floor. My sight turned normal again. I turned and saw Kakarot standing infront of me. "You're late, Kakarot. I've already destroyed the ''yokai by myself!" I smirked. "I know," he smiled sheepishly. "But what I did not expect is that you are with her." "The yokai did attack her before I could find it. She just got in my way." "Her father called me to look for her because she was late for their dinner. They said she went back here to get her rubber shoes but Chiharu stopped by to return it after she left Capsule Corp so her parents are just worry about her." "So you mean you did not come in here to defeat the yokai but to pick her up instead?" I snarled with a feeling of jealousy and disappointment. He nodded. "Yes, because I know you could take care of it by yourself." Then he smiled that irritating sheepish smile. I turned back at him and crossed my arms irritably. "Fine then, take her back to her home." I ordered him. "Yes," he immediately picked her sleeping form. "You used your ability to erase her memories, don't you?" I nodded. "Humans are too weak to resist hypnotism." "I hope so," Kakarot whispered to himself. Which I heard with my extra-sensitive ears "What?" I turned to Kakarot but he was gone already. He has already teleported himself into the woman's home. What does he mean by that I hope so line I heard from him? Does this mean that the human woman has the ability to resist me? Tch! No ordinary person could do that, especially, not a human woman. I teleported into the North Wasteland and I decided to meditate. By the next morning, I saw the woman walking with Kakarot on the way to the school building. Her right cheek had adhesive bandage on the part she had her laceration. Her right leg had bandage on it. She doesn't notice me since I was walking behind them. I noticed she was carrying a bento box, a thing I did not saw her carry since the first time I saw her. Inside the school building was a crowd of students looking at the yokai's ''corpse, burned by the sun probably before I came in. Some terrified on seeing the monster and some are amazed on finding a ''not-so ordinary creature in their 'human' world. Kakarot and the woman walked pass the crowd of people but she immediately stopped and looked at what the other students are staring. She was stunned on seeing the monster, probably remembering what happened yesterday. Shoot! She slowly turned to me; her eyes showed she was suspicious, with a blend of fright. I walked away, into the rooftop, trying to avoid those looks in her eyes. There was no one in the rooftop since the monster corpse intrigued them all. I leaned on the rails and looked at the clouds. "Come on, Vegeta''-kun'', you can trust me." I heard her say. She was leaning on the rail next to me. How was she able to resist my power to take her memory off her? She is not an ordinary human, is she? Is that why Kakarot said I hope so yesterday? What's with this woman other that her alcoholic scent of blood. "What do you mean I can trust you?" I said. "I know something extra-ordinary about you. You're incredibly faster and stronger than any ordinary human. I saw your eyes change color and— no human is capable of destroying that monster you know. I know you're not human, right?" she said with such convincing tone. She's quite observant and a loud mouth too. This woman really annoys me to no end, but—she does amaze me. She's brave enough to speak those words and come near me where in fact, she knew how dangerous I am. I laughed maniacally at those words. "Well, nobody's gonna believe you if you tell them I killed that monster. So you better stop nagging me with your theories." "Please trust me, I promise I won't tell this to anyone. I just want to know more about you. I know how it would be interesting to make friends with you," What a foolish woman she is! A friend doesn't even interest me. "Friends with me? Kuh! What a joke!" I said. "If you're telling me I am not human when you saw I fought that monster, Therefore let me warn you for once and for all. I am dangerous; you'll never know when I'll kill humans like you so stop getting near me. It would be better if you begin staying away from me." She pouted. "Then what are you if you're not human?" I rolled my eyes. Stubborn woman! I didn't answer her annoying question. "Ahm… Okay. If you don't want to talk about it then fine with me. I just want to give you this," she said as she handed the bento box she was carrying. I took it, stunned. "Its okonomiyaki, I made it for you as a token of appreciation for saving my life yesterday. I know it's too much for you so I hope you share it with your family." Then she smiled, the word 'family' stunned me even more. "Oh", she continued. "And don't forget the assignment in the broadcasting club. We need to host the station today. See you later!" and then she left. (Note: Okonomiyaki-'' a Japanese pizza cooked with meat and vegetables as toppings.) I looked at the box and saw a small white envelope on the top. I opened it and took a small card from it. There was a note written on it that says: To: Vegeta-''kun, Thank you for saving me yesterday even though you told me it wasn't on your purpose. I hope you like the food inside this box. Please enjoy yourself. ~ Bulma Briefs Hmph! Foolish girl! I sniffed into the box and whatever is inside it smelled delicious. I decided to open it and found a pizza like pie and began eating. I simply had a short slumber afterwards. Moments later, I have awakened by that horrible woman's voice through those radio speakers around the school's campus. I realized it was already late in the afternoon and it was about time for the broadcasting assignment. Shoot! — I'm late! Damn'it! "Good afternoon fellow schoolmates," her voice echoed. "Today, I'll be telling you about the great experience I had these days." She emphasized the word 'great' as if she was proud of her 'experience'. "I met a new friend last Monday. I found myself attracted to him the first time I saw him. He was the kind of person who was definitely good-looking and attractive; the kind you would never see in this world—so handsome, but there was something about him that made me bothered, the cold looks of his eyes did frighten me. It felt like I've already seen him before. He was overly arrogant when I began talking to him and he did annoy me. Then the next three days he was gone due to some sort of sickness and I didn't know why I am so worried about him. Yesterday evening, I was in danger and he was able to save me from that incident that may have killed me— Hey, if ever you are listening, I really wanted to thank you for saving my life, I now owe a very big thing to you, my friend…" So I was the 'friend' she was talking about in that edited story—how infuriating! How many times do I have to tell her that I did not save her from that yokai? I was irritated that she even called me as her friend— a word that I do not consider in my vocabulary. A word that must not be used to call me. However, a slight smirk ran across my face, I knew I was glad inside but my pride won't consider it. Friendship, A bond I never had made with someone, although many made their own with me but I do not consider it. I am a warrior bred to become stoic and I won't let a bond of whatever foolish relationship get in my way to become the strongest. "And hey," she called. "Come here right now and we have work to do!" I almost laugh at that statement. "As we wait for this friend to come, let listen to Paramore's Decode." She announced and a song began to play. I stood up and teleport myself by the front door of the Broadcasting clubroom. The door was slightly open and I decided to peek first before I came in. What I saw inside the room amused me for some reason. The woman was singing and dancing like crazy along with the rock song. She was holding a turned off microphone, singing, shaking her head and body like she feels like she was the one singing the rock song, jumping on the sound of rock guitar and the drums before and after the refrain. "YEAH!" she sang in the highest possible tone she could have done in many years of her human life that irritated my ears, spinning around and was stunned when she saw me watching her by the door. She immediately stopped; her face flashed red as a tomato and turned her back on me. "Y-You're here—"her voice broke in embarrassment. I smirked at her. "You put up a good show on that one, woman. Maybe you could continue with your tango and salsa!" I mocked, laughing at her performance. "Just shut up and let's do the work," she said as she picked up her headset and sat at her seat. I did not move, still with that mocking smirk on my face. "What are you doing, Vegeta? Let's do it!" she almost yelled. I look at the controller and used my telekinesis ability to turn the microphone on by pushing one small button using my mind. She did not notice it as she was staring at me. Annoyed, she called me once again, with a scream. "Vegeta!" The sound of the microphone echoed the room, and she was stunned. Everyone at school probably heard her now. "—Shit!" she said in between her teeth. She immediately pushed the button and turned the microphone off. "What the? I know I turned it off after I played the music, Why is it on?" she said in a panic. "Oh no, no, no— they probably heard me singing with the song—"she shook her head, her eyes looked like she was about to cry. "Bulma!" I heard Kakarot's voice in panic. He went inside and asked her if she was all right. She was crying like something worse than hell happened to her. "Vegeta, what have you done to her?" he asked, his voice was mad. I arched my eyebrows and stared at the woman. Then I stared at him madly. "I did nothing; she just made a very embarrassing moment." "Then why did she scream?" he was suspicious that I touched the woman he probably liked. I snarled. "What are you saying? That I touched her?" "I was not talking about that—" "No, Goku, he didn't," the woman snorted. "I was just calling him when you heard me scream. I realized that the microphone was on and I was embarrassed that's why I was crying." Goku looked at her and then he eyes flickered to mine. "Fine— I am sorry, Jiita," he said. He reached out his hand to me and he wanted to shake hands, a usual expression of him being friendly to people. I just snapped it away and snarled at him. "You'll pay for that later, Kakarot" ''I said on his mind. He shrieked. Then he turned to the woman. "I'll see you later then," he told her and then he walked out of the room. Her anxious eyes turned to me, those beautiful large blue eyes of hers kept me staring on it. It seems like I have seen those eyes before… Yes, it is familiar, I think I have seen it somewhere I could not remember, sometime in my previous life. I wondered. A smile ran across her face and said, "Let's start, ''please." I was caught by the way she said that 'please' and unwillingly abide to work on that broadcasting assignment. It was already night when we finished it. We're the only students left in the campus, We walked into the school exit gate and stop in there for a moment. "Argh! It's so cold!" she complained as she wrapped her arms around her. She pouted and she turned to me. "Are you hungry?" she asked. "Yeah," I replied. "Come," she smiled. "Let's go into one ramen shop I know. It's good to eat something warm during a cold weather like this." "Sure," I agreed. She dragged me towards the store called 'Furinuko Ramen Shop'. It was a small traditional place made in bamboo. There were two people in there, an old man and a brown haired woman I know, I think she is one classmate of ours. She had short hair and wears eyeglasses. I heard Bulma call her 'Naoko' as she made orders. "Two Kim chi Ramen please," she ordered. "And drinks?" Naoko asked as she turned to me with a smile. "Mine is Coke," Bulma said. "And Vegeta-''kun''?" "You have Apple Juice?" I asked, she nodded with a yes. "Just wait a minute," she said as she prepared our drinks. The old man prepared the ramen. "So, you like apple juice?" Bulma asked me. "Yes, but I like the fruit better." I said. Damn me, how could I become an open book to her today? "So many ways to eat apple," she murmured. Our glasses of drinks came in first and Naoko talked "Only a few people like apples here in Japan, and you're the first one I know. Maybe because you're from the United States" I sipped on my juice, "People in there love apples," I said. "Did you grow up in there?" "No, My sempai ''brought me in there for apples. We live in there for a year and then went on a training somewhere else." I sipped again. They're stunned by my answer as the Kim chi ramen that Bulma ordered came in. Then, we began to eat. "Oh dad, look! It's Paris!" Naoko said as she pointed behind us. A human wearing a brown hooded coat sat on my right, beside me. He was a human, but I could feel a strong felling of an evil ki on him, I wondered that if this kid is a mere human that is possessed, or something else. He clenched his fist, as if he was shaking in the cold. "Keisuke," he called the old man. "Give me some water, please. I'm thirsty." I snarled. Something about this human is triggering my blood lust, not his blood scent but the ki that was about to burst inside him sooner or later… I can sense that feeling from here. "Naoko, give him a glass of water." The old man ordered. "Sure," Naoko stood up to get some water by the refrigerator. The human beside me gripped his fists, hyperventilating in loud breaths that came on his teeth. He was about to transform. I quickly stood up and sent the human falling into the ground away a meter away from us by a spinning kick. Bulma stood up about to yell at me but was stopped when the human called 'Paris' transformed into a ''yokai, his true form. This yokai is different from the one I fought yesterday. It was huge, of course but had overly huge muscles on its upper body. It had white eyes, dark shadow underneath it. Long sharp fangs where acidic saliva dripped from it. It was pale, much paler than I was. It was funny I remembered one strange human creature called 'Tank' in a zombie game that me and my sempai used to play in PC rentals while in the States. By the looks of the monster, his elemental power must be earth. And it proved me right when it picked a huge rubble and threw it towards us. The humans began to run except Bulma who stood behind me. I picked her up and leaped, dodging the rubble the Tank-like creature tossed on us. I landed several feet from the creature, away from the store. Naoko ran into the creature and called him by his human name. What foolish human she was trying to think it could recognize her. It came after her instead and shoved her, which sent her flying away. The old man ran into her aid and saw she had a broken leg. "Naoko!" Bulma screamed. "Go and take them away, I'll take care of this monster," I told her. My sight turned red. She did not move an inch; she was staring at me in bewilderment as if this was the first time she saw my eyes shift color. "Why are you still standing there, woman! Go!" I snarled. "If you don't want me to kill you and your friends first" She stared on my eyes for a long moment. "How did you-" I heard her murmur. "Just shut up and do as I say!" I yelled. She blinked at me in confusion and ran into Naoko and the old man. And with that moment, I began to gather my energy. I released my ki and summoned the power that lies within me. It would be a necessity to use more energy than what I used yesterday since the 'yokai' ''infront of me is a way stronger. However, its speed would be its weakness for it had greater muscle mass, which could affect all its attacks. I felt pure power coursed through my veins, burning inside of me. Whirling red ki engulfed my body. I glared at my opponent and leaped in a flash towards the Tank-like creature, screaming to attack. I threw fierce punches rapidly into the ''yokai's over muscled upper body, which made it saunter backward. It was groaning painfully in each of the punches it took from me. I punched on its face with a right hook and another left hook and sent an uppercut on its chin that made it flying upward in a high speed. I glared at it and teleported above the monster and crushed it on the head as I yelled 'Drop Dead!". It crashed on the ground, making a crater on its fall. I landed safely on the surface and observed the creature. It reverted to its human form but it could not stand up anymore for I already paralyzed its body. I faced one palm into the beaten up creature and summoned my power and it glowed with red ki as a small, red energy sphere emerged from my palm. I fired the ki sphere into the creature, which sent it into oblivion. There was no trace of the body anymore for I already blew it up into atoms. I powered down, my sight normal again. I turned to face the humans who were on the corner, their faces bewildered by my actions. Naoko clung on her father's arms while Bulma stood beside them. I walked towards them, I was surprised they did not show any fear even they saw that I killed the yokai, very much like Bulma this morning. Sometimes, humans do not really know what things to fear and not to fear. It puzzled me, and amazed me too. One example was that humans fear ghosts, they believe in ghosts. They tell stories that would scare their butts during darkness and would later find themselves with insomnia or nightmares. I went into Naoko and looked at the injury she received form the yokai and found her left leg bleeding and broken. The scent of her human blood sent a wave of thirst on my throat. I have to snap it out or else I might drink her blood out of thirst! I turned my head away, trying to look for a splint. I ran into the ramen store and took one stick of bamboo, broke it into two and went beside Naoko. I gritted my teeth and snarled in order to control the thirst. I put the sticks side by side on her broken leg and took off my necktie to tie it into her leg. "Take her to the hospital," I ordered the old man. He nodded in agreement. I stood up and he did too, putting his daughter on his back. "Thanks, Vegeta." Naoko told in her weak voice. "You're good in fighting… and in first aiding too. We owe you a lot for saving us from that monster." The old man said. "Don't misunderstand me but I did not save you. I learned the first aid from my sempai; he told me he was a doctor's son-in-law that's why he knew a little about it." I replied. "Oh," Bulma said. "He's a doctor's son-in-law huh?" she put her index finger under her lip and looked up, wondering. "I wonder if dad knows him or his father." "I bet he knew him or maybe a distant relative of your family. In fact, you have the same last name." I said. Her eyes bulged in bewilderment. "Really? But I never knew any distant relative!" I smirked and then laughed. "Or maybe I was wrong, he looks nothing like you." She nodded and then smiled sweetly, so sweet that I have never seen someone smile like hers. For a moment, I lost myself upon staring at her blue eyes, which seemingly sparkle with joy. We took Naoko to the nearest hospital. An old doctor tended to her. Naoko's father thanked him and recognized him to be Bulma's father. Bulma invited me outside the hospital to talk about something she would not tell me until we are outside. We sat on a bench under a cherry blossom tree a few meters away from the hospital building. "I hope you change your mind about the friendship offer I gave," she said. "I know a few things about you now, which you probably keep as a secret. Don't worry about it, I won't tell anyone," "Sorry to disappoint you but I don't keep any secrets about myself," I told her a lie which she may believe or not. Yes, I show my true nature to anyone for nothing else is important to me but destroying the yokai creatures. Then I erase that part of memory in that person using my ability (which I did to Bulma yesterday) It was strange on how did this ability had no effect on her. (or rather, had shorter effect since she fell for it yesterday and upon recognizing the monster's corpse, regained back that memory) No one besides my sempai could resist that ability. I wonder what was wrong with these people. "I see," She said in a low voice, quite disappointed. Her lip twitched, forcing herself to smile. "How about the friendship offer?" "And what about that?" I asked. "Still don't want to be friends with me?" I turned my head to her, my eyes locked on her large blue orbs. It was so damn familiar I was trying to remember but I just could not. This time I tried to read her emotions through her eyes. She was so eager to make me as her friend. She really meant it; I could see it through her. My mind twisted with the pictures of possible consequences if I did accept her offer. She knew about my nature, my very dangerous nature that anyone who would learn about it would tremble in fear. Her blood scent could send a wave of excruciating thirst and blood lust to me that I wanted to kill her and blow the entire place into oblivion if I could not help myself. The pictures in my mind sent a piercing remorse not because of her but for my weakness at controlling myself. I once again looked into her eyes where I see her expecting the acceptance answer to her question. She grinned sheepishly while waiting for my answer, very similar to Kakarot's irritating grin, but hers does not annoy me at all (for this moment) it amused me instead. I turned away, still thinking. If ever I killed her because my thirst, sempai wouldn't like it and would ground me from doing what I want for a month. He wouldn't also let me fight the yokais ''alone. However… something in my mind was telling me it was one good challenge to befriend a human like her to control my blood lust. It was a good challenge for me and yet very dangerous one, especially to her. "Tell me, woman," I said. "What else do you know about me that made you so sure you wanted to become friends with someone who isn't human?" "Nothing, I guess so… besides your strength, speed and power I know nothing more special of you," and she was honest with that answer. "What I also knew is that you save me or even other people from those monsters you call ''yokai or something," I rolled my eyes, irritated "How many times do I have to tell you I don't save people?" "But that's what I think—" "And you believe the lie," I said before she could finish off her sentence. "Listen, you may have seen me battling those ''yokais ''but still, what you saw isn't the best thing I could do. I can do much better than that and even more dangerous to this planet. I am more than a monster than those you have seen before. I'm giving you a fair warning, woman. If I ever accept your offer, are you ready to befriend a monster?" She nodded and it seems that she did not even think about it. "Therefore, come with me. I'll show you something that would change your mind," And that's what I was hoping for, if she wanted to stay alive. -oOo-